Brainage: "Impact of Prenatal Stress on Brain Ageing"

Maternal stress during pregnancy influences brain ageing and age-associated diseases such as dementia and stroke. In this 3 million Euro EU-funded project, neurologists at the Jena University Hospital, together with molecular biologists, psychologists, physiologists, and epidemiologists from Europe and the USA are studying the effects of psychological stress, exposure to medication, and maternal undernutrition during pregnancy on brain ageing in later life. Detailed knowledge of factors influencing healthy life in the ageing society is a precondition for early preventive measures against age-associated diseases.